Figure wheeled toy



July 30, 1929. J, RICHTER 1,722,340

FIGURE WHEELED TOY Filed Jan. 27, 1928 Patented July 30, 1929.

" UNITED STATES 1,722,3n PATENT oFFice.

JOHANNES RICHTER, OF BRANDENBURG-ON-THEJ-IAVEL, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM ERNST PAUL LEHMANN, PATENTWERK, OF BRANDENBURG-ON-THE- HAVEL, GERMANY.

Application filed January 27, 1928, Serial No.

The present invention relates to a toy and the object of the invention is to make the toy movable so to speak in all directions, so that a novel comic effect is produced. This'object is attained by a characteristic combination of parts, which are mostly known in themselves, and which are only claimed as new in so far as is hereinafter expressly stated.

One constructional form of the toy is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings.

The toy is shown in side elevation as a whole in Figure 1, and in part in Figure 2, an under-side view being shown in Figure 3.

Figure 4 shows the road wheels with their axle alone,

Figure 5 the eccentric serving for steering purposes, and p Figure 6 is a side elevation of an air brake.

In these drawings, 1 is a frame which holds the entire toy together. In this frame is arranged driving mechanism 2, which is wound up in a known manner with a key 3., and from which, by means of wheel transmission gearing 4:, is driven a main axle "5, to which the road wheels 6 are eccentrically fitted, their eccentricities being in opposite directions, so that the vehicle tilts to right and left alternately, which results in the figure representing the driver or chauffeur swaying about a pivot 20.

From the transmission gearing 1 is also driven a checking shaft 7 ,which by means of a crank 8 drives an oscillating fan 10, pivoted to the main axle 5, and provided with a slot 9,

which engages with the crank 8. This fan prevents the mechanism from running 'too' fast.

Further, the transmission gearing 4 also drives a shaft 11 located in front of the main axle and provided with a crank 12. This crank runs in a slot 13 in a bell-crank lever 15, which has its fulcrum at 14: and is pivoted at the other end at 16 on a pin which passes transversely through the under part 17 of the seated figure constituting the driver or chauffeur. By the feet this figure is pivotally secured at 18 in a plate 19 extending across the frame 1, so that it rises and falls as the lever 15 moves.

The under part 17 of the figure also carries, by means of the pivot 20 extending from front to back, the upper part 21, which is rotatably mounted thereon, and to which the head 22 is FIGURE WHEELED TOY.

249,991, and in Germany November 25, 1927.

effected by means of an eccentric 29 which'is mounted on the drivingshaft 28 and which by means of a curved rod 31 ending in a hook 30,

reciprocates a forked holder 33, whcih is pivotally secured at 32 and which carries the axle 3 1 of the actual steering wheel 35. Owing to this the carriage moves in a path of the shape of a figure 8.

Hence it Will be seen that the figure is ir regularly moved in all directions, that the wheels simulate a continual tendency of the vehicle to topple over, and that the path traversed, being neither rectilinear nor circular, enhances the impression of irregularity. This may be made even more striking by grotesque shaping and coloring of the individual parts, more particularly the figure itself and the wheels. Accessories such as lamp, horn and the like may be fitted if desired.

Besides the combination as a whole, the application of a bell-crank lever for moving the figure up and down is also novel, the object of this novel feature being that when the figure rises there may be seen under the region of its centre of gravity, where theeye naturally looks for some support, not as in other cases a downwardly extending rod but an empty space, as the bell-crank lever would only be visible at a point towards the front of the body, where the amplitude of oscillation of the body part 17 would be less, and where the said lever would therefore'not be very noticeable. The rising willtherefore appear more natural.

The use of an axle extending from front to back for the purpose of producing a lateral tilting movement of the figure is also new; and finally the arrangement of oppositely eccentric wheels, that is to say, eccentric wheels with their eccentricities in opposite directions, is new.

What I claim is 1. A toy representing a vehicle, comprising a car body, a live axle journalled in said car body, driving wheels mounted on said live axle, clockwork mechanism for actuating said live axle, a figure representing a person seated in the vehicle, said figure comprising a lower part pivotally connected to the car body at its lower end, in the neighbourhood of the persons foot, and an upper body part, a substantially horizontal pivot extending through the lower part of the figure from front to back, the upper body partof the figure being freely oscillatable about said pivot, a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted in tricities in opposite directions, a figure repre senting a person seated in the vehicle, said figure comprising a lower part pivotally connected to the car body at its lower end, in

the neighbourhood of the persons foot, and an upper body part, a substantially horizontal pivot extending through the lower part of the figure from front to back, the upper body part of the figure being freely oscillatable about said pivot, a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted in the vehicle body, one end of said bell-crank lever being pivoted to the upper end of the lower part of the figure, a shaft adapted to be rotated by the clockwork mechanism, and a crank on said shaft, said crank being adapted to oscillate a bell-crank lever.

3. A toy representing a vehicle, comprising'a car body, a live axle journalled in said car body, driving wheels mounted on said live axle, clockwork mechanism for, actuating said live axle, a figure representing a person seated in the vehicle, said figure comprising a lower part, and an upper bodyrpart, a substantially horizontal pivot extending through the lower part of the figure from front to back, the upper body part of the figure being freely oscillatable about said pivot, an eccentric mounted on said shaft, an

arm attached to said eccentric, .a steering wheel, and a bearing for said steering wheel,

resenting a person seated in the vehicle, said figure comprisinga lower part pivotally 0011- nected to the car body at its lower end, in

the neighbourhood of the person?s foot,and an upper body part, a substantially horiozntal pivot extending through the lower part of the figure from front to back, the upper body part of the figure being freely oscillatable about said pivot, a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted in the vehicle body, a shaft adapted to be rotated by the clockwork mechanism, a crank on said shaft, said crank being adapted to oscillate the bell-crank lever, an eccentric mounted on said shaft, an arm attached to said eccentric, a steering wheel, and a bearing for said steering wheel, the arm attached to the eccentric being adapted to deflect said hearing as the eccentric rotates.

5. A toy representing a motor car with a chauffeur therein, comprising a live axle, driving wheels, eccentrically V mounted on said live axle, with their eccentricities in 0pposite directions, clockwork mechanism for actuating said chauffeurand said liveaxle,

a bell-crank lever pivotally carrying at one end the under part of the chauffeursbody,

a crank adapted to oscillate said bell-crank lever, a main shaft journalled in the body of the motor car, an eccentric mounted on said main shaft, a curved arm attached to said eccentric, a steering wheel, abearing forsaid steering wheel, the arm attached to the eccentric being adapted to deflect said bearing as the eccentric rotates, and a rod extending from front to back through the lower part of the chauifeurs body, the upper part of the chauffeurs body being freely movable about said rod. 7 I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHANNES RICHTER. 

